Math Teachers Winning Over Students with Comedy

Math for America–a left-brained Teach for America founded by former mathematician and hedge fund billionaire James Simons–is trying a new tack to help its teaching fellows get through to their students. The program, which trains math instructors for placement in middle and high schools in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, and D.C., offered teaching fellows in its New York chapter improv lessons given by Rachel Hamilton, a comidienne and alumnus of the storied Second City troupe who has appeared in a couple episodes of 30 Rock.

New York magazine caught up with a few of the teachers who took Hamilton’s workshop to see how they’re keeping their wits about them in the classroom. Some of their recommendations to get (and keep) your kids’ attention: Try accidentally leaving your fly down to create a moment of levity. Check down to a joke instead of going postal. And, at all costs, avoid sarcasm, especially with the junior high kids; they might be ready for algebra, but they just aren’t quite ready for that brand of humor.